{"id":36433,"date":"2014-12-26T02:55:42","date_gmt":"2014-12-25T18:55:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=36433"},"modified":"2014-12-26T02:55:42","modified_gmt":"2014-12-25T18:55:42","slug":"quebec-miner-fined-7-5-m-after-pleading-guilty-to-environmental-charges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2014\/12\/26\/quebec-miner-fined-7-5-m-after-pleading-guilty-to-environmental-charges\/","title":{"rendered":"Quebec miner fined $7.5-M after pleading guilty to environmental charges"},"content":{"rendered":"
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MONTREAL — A Quebec mining company has been ordered to pay a fine of $7.5 million after pleading guilty to 45 charges under the federal Fisheries Act.<\/p>\n

Environment Canada says the order, issued Dec. 19 in Montreal against Bloom Lake General Partner Ltd., is the largest penalty ever imposed for environmental infractions in Canada.<\/p>\n

The company was accused of releasing “non-compliant mining effluent and ferric sulfate” into fish-bearing water and failure to comply with an inspector’s direction in 2010.<\/p>\n

Environment Canada said it began an investigation in 2011 into a number of infractions over a four-year period at the mine about 30 kilometres southwest of Labrador City, N.L.<\/p>\n

They included the release of hazardous material from a tailings pond breach and a separate release of 14,500 litres of ferric sulfate into water frequented by fish.<\/p>\n

The federal agency said on a number of occasions, the company failed to advise the department about the releases, contrary to regulatory requirements, nor did it take samples and conduct analyses as required.<\/p>\n

The bulk of the $7.5 million penalty, $6.83 million, will be directed to the Environmental Damages Fund. Environment Canada said this will represent the largest ever financial contribution to the fund.<\/p>\n

In late November, the mine’s owner — Cleveland-based Cliffs Natural Resources — said it would being laying off workers at the Bloom Lake mine as it prepared to suspend operations at the site by year-end.<\/p>\n

Cliffs earlier said it would exit Eastern Canada amid low iron ore prices after failing to find partners to share the cost of a $1.2-billion expansion required to make the Bloom Lake operation viable.<\/p>\n

The Steelworkers union said layoff notices were to be given to about 400 workers in advance of the closure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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